Corning SMF-28 Contour fiber targets bend resilience, compatibility, low loss
Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW) will use next week’s virtual OFC 2021 as a platform to launch Corning SMF-28 Contour optical fiber. The fiber is designed to support optical network upgrades via a combination of bend resilience, compatibility with legacy infrastructure, and low loss.
SMF-28 Contour fiber conforms to ITU-T G.657.A2 and thus offers 10X the macrobend resilience of G.652.D fibers and seven times the macrobend resilience of G.657.A1 fibers, Corning points out. The associated microbend resilience will enable dense, high-fiber-count cables, the company adds. However, while some G.657.A2 enable bend protection but with a lower mode field diameter, SMF-28 Contour fiber offers a matched 9.2-micron mode field diameter that makes it more compatible with legacy fibers, Corning states. As a result, installation times can be cut by as much as 50%, the company asserts. Finally, SMF-28 Contour offers what Corning claims is industry-leading low attenuation. This attenuation performance will lead to 10% longer reach in optical network of all types and up to 20% greater coverage in optical access networks.
Corning will make the fiber available in 242-micron and 190-micron configurations. “Corning’s revolutionary SMF-28 Contour optical fiber is the latest example of our ability to solve tough industry challenges,” commented Dr. Bernhard Deutsch, vice president and general manager, Corning Optical Fiber and Cable. “Operators today are looking to deploy future-ready networks as efficiently as possible, often in densely cabled environments, and we’ve designed this new product to answer those needs. Fifty years after Corning scientists invented the first low-loss optical fiber, we’re proud to help drive a new era of industry growth and network transformation.”
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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